Ships and Boats: Prehistory to 1840

Principally from the archaeological evidence, this overview identifies and describes pre-Industrial vessels (that is from the earliest times to about 1840) used on inland and coastal waters and the open sea, as well as ones abandoned in coastal areas.

It includes vessels buried through reclamation or some other process: many of the most significant early boats and ships have been discovered on land rather than at sea. Vessels and wrecks pre-dating 1840 are relatively rare: the latter comprise just 4 per cent of known sites around the English coast.

These guides cover a wide range of archaeological heritage types. They are intended to provide an expert yet accessible introduction to many areas of archaeology, including historical development, processes of discovery and guides for further reading.